Bhubaneswar, May 21: Senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted that Odisha lost 25 years of development under the 25-year of Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in the state, during which various sectors like healthcare, education and infrastructure got “derailed”.

Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Sambalpur and Nayagarh ahead of the third phase of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state on May 25, Shah said the ongoing polls are to make Narendra Modi the PM for the third term and restore Odisha's glory, which has been "destroyed" by the 25-year of Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government.

“Odisha is the most prosperous state in the country, but people of the state are poor. If you want to get rid of this, you need to vote for (Narendra) Modi ji and make him the PM again. You gave Naveen babu 25 years, but the state lost 25 years of development,” he said at the public meeting at Nayagarh.

“Odisha's healthcare, education system and infrastructure got derailed under the BJD rule; only the BJP government under the direction PM Modi can bring these back on track in the State,” he asserted.

In Sambalpur, Shah said that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should retire due to his "advanced age and health issues", while promising that the BJP will make a young Odia-speaking 'Bhumiputra' (son or daughter of the soil) as the CM if the saffron party is voted to power in the state.

"Naveen babu has made a Tamil officer ruler of the state. Oust the BJD government... we will give a young Odia-speaking Chief Minister. If BJP is voted to power in Odisha, a 'bhumiputra' will rule the land of 'Utkala Bhumi' and not a Tamil babu”, Shah said.

Shah also sought clarification from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the missing keys of Puri Jagannath temple’s Ratna Bhandar. He added the BJP government will punish those responsible for the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar, If BJP is voted to power in Odisha.

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